Bus cowl



E. J. HALL Sept. l0, 1929.

BUS COWL Filed May 4, 192'? 2 sheets-sneer 1 E. J. HALL Sept. 1o, 1929.

BUS COWL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1927 Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELBERT J. HALL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .ASSIGNOB TO AMERICAN CAB .AND

FOUNDRY MOTORS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF DELA- WBE.

nus cowL.

This invention relates to motor buses and more particularly to animproved cowl and method of securing same all as hereinafter moreparticularl set forth.

An object of t e invention is to provide a bus cowl or vfront endconstruction which may be quickly and readily assembled with the busbody frame and which will greatly increase the strength of this frame.

i0 A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a cowlhaving integral upwardly extending portions perforated and adapted forattachment directly to a pressed channel-shaped corner post, one at eachside of the front end of the vehicle.

@ther objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken iii conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in whoich:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the front end of a motor bus constructed inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sec- 'tional view taken on line 3-3of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4 4 of F ig. 2; p

Fig. 5 is a fragmentry plan view of the bus roof frame;

Fig. 6 is a detail front elevation of one of the corner posts embodiedin the invention, representing the right hand corner post as when in thevehicle and facing forwardly;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77 0fFig. 3, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the rear edge ofthe cowl, showingithe attaching flanges.

eferring now more particularly to the drawings, in which similarcharacters of reference designate similar parts in the several views, abus body frame is indicated generall by the reference character 5, thisframev being provided with converging sill extensions 6 which extendforwardly from the wood side sills 6EL which are properly the bodysills, and connected with the parts 5 and 6 are the corner posts 7 whichposts are formed from sheet metal pressed to the contour shown in thedrawings and with recessed portions 7 and 7b rovided, respectively, inthe front faces and) in the side faces of said posts 7 to accommodatethe securing flanges 8 and 9 which are cast integral with and adjacentthe ends of the rear edge of the cowl 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 8.The fianges 8 and 9 serve as means for securing, by means of the screws11, the cowl to the posts 7, said screws extending through the metal ofthe posts and into the wood fillers 12, held within the posts 7 as bestshown in Figs. 3 and 4. The flanges 8 and 9 preferably extend downwardlybelow the top surface of the cowl, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and areconnected to the posts 7 by fastening means identical with the parts 8,9 and 11 before referred to.

The upper portion 10 of the cowl is preferably made in the form of analuminum casting which will retain its shape and provide greaterrigidity than the conventional sheet metal cowl, and this castingextends rearwardly as shown in the sectional view, Fig. 7, the rear edgebeing formed into a channel portion 13 which opens upwardly and in whichthere is positioned a wood filler 14, which wood filler is held withinthe channel portion referred to by the screws 15 which secure thefinishing strips 16 in position, said screws extending through the frontange of said channel portion, while machine screws 17 extend through therear ianges of said channel portion and provide 85 means for fasteninginproper position the cash register, fare box, change carrier or otherelement intended to be carried in convenient proximity to the driver ofthe vehicle. Lapping the forward iiange of said 90 channel and beingconnected therewith by said screws just referred to is the metal 18 ofthe wind shield frame which, however, forms no part of the presentinvention, said frame resting, as shown in Fig. 7, upon the wood fillerbefore referred to.

The cowl casting is supplemented by the sheet metal dash 2O which isconnected by the bolts or rivets 21 to the downwardly extending flange22 of the cowl and serves 100 as a continuation thereof, said dashterminating at its lower end in the reinforcing corrugatlon 23 whichextends from side to side entirel across the lower portion of said dash20, w ile an inwardly extending angular flange 24 serves as the bottomportion of said dash. Said flange 24 receives and has connected.with itbraces 25, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are connected with saidflange 24 at one end and at their opposite ends are connected with theposts 7. Similar braces 26, 27 and 28 are formed integrally with thecast metal portion 10 of the cowl before referred to, said braces beingbest shown in Fig. 2. supplementing said braces and brace 25, serving asmeans for connecting the lower portion of skirt 10a of the cowl withsaid posts 7, a pair of shelves 28* are provided, one at each side.These shelves are provided with flanges 29 which connect with the angles30, which angles 30 serve to bind and reinforce the front' edge portionof the cowl and serve as a stiiiening member therefor. The constructionof the bus body rearwardly of the posts 7 forms no part of the presentinvention. Connected w1th the cast metal portion 10 of the cowl, sheetmetal skirt portions 10 are provided, as best shown in Fig. 1, offset at35 to form step-like portions and the sheet metal skirt portion 10 isconnected to the angle 30 before referred to at its front edge andextends around the posts 7 and across the rear face thereof as shown at36 in Fig. 4. As this skirt portion 10` is of thin metal, preferablyaluminum, it may be secured in position by the nails 37 which are driventhrough the sheets 10 and into the wood post fillers 12, therebyproviding a substantlal connection of said skirt portions of the cowl tothe corner posts and thus materially strengthening the cowl structure.As is common in cowls of this type, a trap door, as 40, may be providedat one or both sides of the cowl for ventilation.

It is believed that the construction and operation of the invention justdescribed will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art when thedescription is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings;however, it is not to be understood that the invention is restricted tothe precise details shown in the drawings, as the latter presentponl oneembodiment of the invention, and o viously various changes in the formand proportions of the device may be made within theY scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What isy claimed is:

' 1. A cowl for motor vehicles comprising a cast metal upper portionhaving a channel portion formed therein and having integral verticallyextending attaching ilanges, and

sheet metal skirt portions connected with said upper portion.

2. A cowl for motor Vvehicles comprisin a cast metal upper portionhaving integra attaching flanges on one edge thereof extending above,vand below said portion whereby to secure the upper portion to cornerposts andsheet metal skirt portions connected 'with said upper portionand having extended rear ends for attachment to corner posts.

3. A cowl for motor vehicles comprising a cast metal upper portionhaving vertically arranged integral attaching lianges extending aboveand below the end of said portion, and sheet metal skirt portionsconnected with said upper portion.

4. In a motor vehicle having channel corner posts and a nailing strip ineach thereof, a cowl comprising a top portion, attaching means formedwith said top ortion and extending above and below the atter forsecuring the same to the corner posts, and skirt portions extendingaround the corner posts and secured to the rear thereof at the nailingstrips. Y

5. In a motor vehicle having channel corner posts provided with afiller, a cowl comprising an upper portion having its inner edgeterminating in an upwardly arranged channel, attaching means secured tothe upper portion adjacent each end thereof for securing said upperportion to the corner posts, and skirt portions depending from said topportion and having their rear ends extended around one side of eachcorner post and the fillers therein.

6. In a motor vehicle, corner posts each having a recess in the frontand one side thereof, a cowl comprising a cast metal top portion,vertically arranged attaching means formed integralwith the top portionadjacent each end thereof and secured to the corner posts in therecesses therein, and skirt portions having their rear ends extendedaround the corner posts and secured to the rear thereof.

7. In a bus construction, a pair of channels each having a filler andforming corner posts,

-and a cowl having the top portion thereof secured to said channels andthe skirt portions extended around the channels and secured to thefillers therein.

8. In combination with a vehicle body having corner posts, a cowlcomprising a cast metal upper portion having attaching flanges adaptedto extend adjacent the corner posts and to be secured thereto, and skirtportions connected with the upper portion and extending around thecorner posts.

9. In a motor vehicle construction, corner posts having fillers, and acowl comprising an upper portion having vertically arranged attachingfianges secured to the corner posts, and skirt portions connected to theupper portion and extending around the corner posts and secured to saidfiller strips.

10. In a motor vehicle, a cowl com rising a single unit having a castmetal upper portion, attaching flanges formed integral with said upperportion and extending above and below the same for attachment to vehiclebody posts, and skirt portions formed with the upper portion and havingsides extending around the body posts and secured thereto. 11. In amotor vehicle, pressed channels providing body osts, a filler in eachbody post, and a cowl aving its side edges engaging vat least two sidesof said channels and secured to the fillers, said cowl having at itsrear upper edge vertically arranged attaching flanges angular in crosssection engaging the channels and secured thereto.

12. In a motor vehicle, channel-shaped 420 corner posts, and a cowlprovided adjacent the ends of the rear upper edge with verticallyextending attaching flanges angular in cross section to engage thecorner posts and to be secured thereto v:for supporting the cowl.

13. In a motor vehicle, channel-shaped corner posts having a iillertherein and a cowl p having its rear upper edge provided with verticallyextending attaching langes'angular in cross section and engaging atleast two sides of corner posts and secured thereto.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ELBERT J. HALL.

